Respiratory Therapy
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Career Opportunities
Students who successfully complete their internship may take a series of examinations that lead to the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential. Graduates readily find employment in hospital, clinic, and home care settings throughout the United States. Opportunities also exist in management, education, sleep labs, research, sales and public health.
The demand for respiratory therapists is expected to continue to increase. As of January 2000, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects "employment of respiratory therapists to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2006." The need for RTs is expected to increase 42.6% for the period of 1998-2008. This increase is expected due to growth in the elderly population, and the numbers of patients with asthma and chronic lung disease.
The 2000 Human Resource Survey, conducted by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), found the mean hourly wage for all RT positions is $19.62 per hour or $40,809 annually.